Parents say

Kids say

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.

Get it now on

Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.

X of Y

X of Y

X of Y

X of Y

A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

Positive Messages

The series explores the concept of being an outsider in the context of two teens who must hide their supernatural powers from their friends. Despite the unique circumstances, the experience has familiar themes of the characters' insecurity and desire to belong. Happily, their new friendship allows them some freedom to be themselves in each other's company.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Maddy and her parents welcome Rhydian into their lives in an attempt to keep him on the straight and narrow and to serve as much-needed role models. Initially guarded, he learns to rely on other people in a way he never did before.

Violence

Occasionally teen tempers flare, leading to scuffles or some property destruction. Also, some tense moments during wolfbloods' transformations. As wolves, characters growl, jump, and sometimes fight. Lots of scenes take place in the dark while characters are being hunted or are under stress.

Sex

Language

Consumerism

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Wolfblood is a British drama series for older tweens and teens about creatures similar to werewolves. At its heart are two teens just coming of age and thus newly indoctrinated in the process of transforming who learn to lean on each other to navigate the changes, cope with the challenges of keeping their powers and alter egos hidden, and deal with the feeling of being outsiders. There are decent examples of role models in Maddy's wolfblood parents, who offer guidance both to their daughter and to her new friend. Despite the show's roots in the supernatural, there's little content here that's truly scary (they don't hunt people, for instance), and the characters often remind each other -– and viewers -– that, unlike werewolves, they're not monsters. That said, expect enough tense situations, scenes set in dark places, and dramatic scenarios that more sensitive tweens should sit this one out.

What's the story?

By all accounts, Maddy Smith (Aimee Kelly) is an average teen muddling her way through school, friendships, and social woes. But what people around her don't know is that she's actually far from average; she's a wolfblood, a creature similar to a werewolf in full-moon transformations. When a sullen newcomer, Rhydian (Bobby Lockwood), arrives at her school, she recognizes that he's a wolfblood, too, and she worries that his reckless ways will reveal the secret they share. She soon befriends him, and her parents pass him off as a distant cousin so they can help guide both teens through the ups and downs of their first transformative years.

Is it any good?

WOLFBLOOD is like a light version of Twilight; it has mythical creatures whose heightened humanity separates themselves from their full-blown monster cousins; an unexpected friendship born of sharing a secret; and constant drama surrounding the protection of that secret. Contrary to many popular monster dramas, though, this one is light on violence and only mildly startling in parts, so it's a contender for families looking to break into the genre slowly. That said, kids may still be scared at transformation scenes and at the concept of creatures of the dark in general, so consider your own kids' sensitivity before plugging into this one.

For older tweens, though, Wolfblood explores social issues like friendship, honesty, and fitting into a peer group. Even though its focus is on two pretty extreme cases of teens feeling like outsiders, their emotional journeys may still have some themes that you and your tweens can discuss with relation to their lives.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about fitting in with friends. Tweens: Do you feel pressure to look or act a specific way when you're around certain friends? What happens if you don't conform? Is individuality something to be celebrated?

Maddy and Rhydian have special powers because they're wolfbloods. How do they put them to good use? Do they ever do harm with them? How do you use your special talents to help other people?

Tweens: How does the violence in this series rank against others you've seen? Is scary content as worrisome as violence, or is it less so? Do you think there's a market for shows that are only borderline scary, or does it just breed the desire for shows with more intense themes?

Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.

Headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C.

Help center

Follow Common Sense Media

Common Sense, Common Sense Media, Common Sense Education, and Common Sense Kids Action, associated names, associated trademarks, and logos are trademarks of Common Sense Media, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN 41-2024986).